Men's 100m: Trayvon Bromell, Roni Baker Lead US Dominance
Pole Vault Duplantis and Women's 400m McLaughlin Herald New Stars
The highlight of the Olympics, athletics, will take place over ten days starting today (30th) at the Tokyo Olympic Stadium. Usain Bolt (34, Jamaica), the men's 100m world record holder (9.58 seconds), has suddenly left the track. The stage, once dominated by the world's greatest star, is now truly a battleground of contenders. Athletes from other events, previously overshadowed by Bolt's brilliance, are preparing for a new leap forward. In the men's 100m, the United States is expected to dominate. Among the medal contenders are Trayvon Bromell (26, 9.80 seconds), who finished first in the US track and field trials, along with Ronnie Baker (28, 9.85 seconds) and Fred Kerley (26, 9.86 seconds). Akani Simbine (28, 9.84 seconds) from South Africa and Andre De Grasse (27, 9.91 seconds) from Canada are also strong candidates aiming for the 'post-Bolt' era. The final will be held on the 1st of next month at 9:50 PM.
The most anticipated athlete in this competition is Armand Duplantis (22, Sweden) in the men's pole vault. Last September, he cleared 6.15 meters at the World Athletics Diamond League final. He broke the world record of 6.14 meters set by 'the human bird' Sergey Bubka in 1994 by 1 cm after 26 years. The record could be broken again. Since surpassing the junior (under 20) world record of 6.05 meters at the 2018 European Athletics Championships, Duplantis has shown a remarkable upward trajectory. He shook up the senior stage by finishing second with 5.97 meters at the 2019 World Athletics Championships and then broke the world record the following year. The final for this event will take place on the 3rd of next month at 7:20 PM.
On the morning of the 4th of next month at 11:30 AM, the women's 400m hurdles final will feature a rivalry between rising star Sydney McLaughlin (22, USA) and Rio de Janeiro Olympic champion Dalilah Muhammad (31, USA). Their abilities are closely matched. At the 2019 World Championships, Muhammad crossed the finish line first with a then-world record of 52.16 seconds, while McLaughlin finished second with 52.23 seconds. However, in the US track and field trials last June, McLaughlin set a new world record with 51.90 seconds to win, with Muhammad finishing second at 52.42 seconds. Since joining the US track and field team at the Rio Olympics as the youngest member, McLaughlin's popularity has soared. Sports brands have fiercely competed to sign her. She freely communicates with fans through social media (SNS), driving the popularity of women's athletics.
In middle and long-distance events, Sifan Hassan (28, Netherlands) is expected to impress. She is an all-rounder who dominates both middle and long distances. With her unique endurance and speed, she won two titles (1500m and 10,000m) at the 2019 Doha World Championships. Since then, she has consistently finished first or second in international competitions in the 1500m, 3000m, and 10,000m events. She is a refugee. Born in January 1993 in Adama, Ethiopia, she settled in Eindhoven, Netherlands, in 2008 and acquired Dutch nationality in 2013. Although she started athletics relatively late at age fifteen, she has shown remarkable growth and emerged as Europe's top middle and long-distance star. Considering rest days, she will forgo the 1500m in this competition and participate in the 5000m and 10,000m events. The finals for these two events will be held on the 2nd and 7th of next month, respectively.
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